Perfect Day at Saona Island by Speedboat - Completely Private

“I did my research on multiple companies to book with before deciding on Bia. I found communication on Facebook with who I was speaking to extremely easy. They answered all of my questions, were patient, and always kind. We didn’t book the trip that far in advance, so I appreciate how flexible they were. We picked up promptly and then went to another hotel to pick up another couple. This was the main negative I had. Apparently our driver was not allowed to go into their hotel, so we had to sit and wait outside for them, which took a good 20+ minutes. To me, it was just a waste of time and should’ve been planned by the other guests with the company a little better. We took that hour and 15- minute drive to where we loaded onto our speedboat. I was told they’re gonna be up to eight of us, and there were only four on our boat, which was great. Adrian the driver, was awesome and Stanley was great and informative. The open bar is pretty much beer, vodka, or rum, and they can mix it with a juice or sodas, they served in a little cup, but it was fine. It served its purpose. We stopped at the natural pool first, which was amazing, honestly, and my favorite part. That blue blue water that you see advertised takes place there. There were other tours around us, but our guides did a good job of keeping us away from the insanely crowded areas. Next, we headed to Saona Island. On the way there, we saw sea turtles, mangroves, stingrays, and some starfish, but you’re not allowed to swim with them you just drive past them. We got to Saona which was a small island not much going on except for people asking if you wanted massages or to buy things. We chilled on the beach and walked around a little bit, and the one area we went to, the guy said we had to pay to sit on the chairs, so we left. I think that was a private area. We went back to near where we were docked and were given freedom of time to just relax as long as we wanted. We had some lunch outside, which was fine. We were starving, so it worked. Unfortunately, we got eaten alive by mosquitoes here, so I would recommend bringing bug spray and using it at this point. After this, we left to go to another natural pool, which is a little more shallow, but also beautiful and picturesque. We were probably out of the hotel for almost 11 hours. It’s a very long day. But it’s beautiful and it’s worth going to see. Thank you to our tour guides for the memories and fun.”

“Smooth experience from start to finish. Our guide picked us up on time and even allotted us enough time to make a pit stop to buy things before arriving on the boat - little tip, you get dropped off right outside the marina (~10 minute walk), and there's plenty of shops around for you to buy last minute necessities (i.e., hats, sunblock, beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)). Our entire tour crew was beyond attentive and helpful throughout the entire day. I booked this trip for 4 adults - we started the day out at the natural pool, where you can get in the water, touch starfish, have a drink and just relax. From there they take you to an island, private area but you will be sharing the space with other clientele from this tour operator, as well as other operators but still relatively calm and relaxing atmosphere. Lunch was fried chicken, rice, salad and pasta. Everything was good - not a 5 star meal but it certainly exceeded my expectations for this type of excursion. The beach here was a little rocky and the shore was shady so my group and I decided we wanted to go back to the natural pool area - what's so great about this private trip is you are fully in control of the itinerary - if you're not feeling a spot, tell the captain and he will quickly remedy the situation. On our way back to the natural pool they took us to an area to see sea turtles - we were so lucky that we saw a bunch this day. The crew even mentioned they'd never seen so many out at once. Crew made sure our cups were full all day and that we were happy and enjoying our time. 10/10 recommend.”

“We booked a private tour and ended up with Stanley and Tole, and these guys were absolutely fantastic! From the very beginning, everything was on point. They picked us up at the exact time they said they would, and Stanley’s English was impeccable, which made communication easy throughout the entire excursion. The day was packed with incredible experiences without ever feeling rushed. We fed the fish, relaxed in the Natural Pool, visited Saona Island for lunch, explored the Dominican mangroves, and saw the channel where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. We also fed clownfish, saw starfish and underwater turtles, and even got to see the area where Survivor was filmed. One of the highlights was when Stanley went and got a starfish and brought it back so my wife could take pictures with it. That was such a cool and memorable touch. And I have to give Tole his credit — he handled that speedboat like a PRO! We felt completely comfortable with him behind the wheel, and he definitely added to the fun of the experience. Overall, we were extremely happy with our tour. Stanley and Tole were professional, friendly, knowledgeable, and made the entire day enjoyable from beginning to end. If you don't want the hassle of a large group excursion and would rather enjoy the experience at your own pace with a private tour, this is definitely the way to go. I would absolutely recommend this company, and if you can get Stanley and Tole, you're in great hands!”

“We've had a fantastic trip to Saona island today. The whole team were fantastic from the initial arrangements, to the pickup from our hotel and the crew on board our boat. We met some great people too....we can't recommend you guys highly enough. Thank you for helping us make great memories 😍”

“Don't book from this, they first gave commitment for discount prices but after doing the payment they ask for more money and then they don't even refund the money. They blocked me. They are scammers, Beware!!!!!!”